Calling preflop with 73o

I was curious what everyone thinks of this. In a tight full table, I am in late position with 73o. The table goes around and the blind is raised once, and most of the table, eight players, call the raise, which is very unusual at this game. I decide to call for this reason: These players are all most likely holding high cards, which leaves the deck high in low cards. If I hit the flop very well, then I'm looking at a good return on the investment. The results(hit three sevens on the flop, won a big pot) aren't important, and this isn't something I'd do all the time. But when everyone is in at a tight table, I thought it was a cool thing to do to mix up the players. And then everyone is so shocked when they see 37o. "You saw a raise with that?", etc.

Well, if the purpose of playing was to shock the others with what you have, you should always play 7-3o. But if the purpose is to win, you should never play it. All those players are not likely to be holding high cards. Some of them likely have 6-5s, or medium or low pocket pairs, (like pocket 7s or pocket 3s). I'd never play it, but if I did, I'd play it against 1 or 2 players before I'd play it against 7. Even if they all have at least one high card, you've still got to worry about the Ts, 9s and 8s.

Well, yeah. Besides, you're such a great player that it doesn't matter what you call with before the flop, as long as you play well after the flop, right?

Well, of course.

I think it's all right, your chances of making a hand are certainly better than if you were holding AKo, the only 'if' is will your hand hold up, and you have pot odds to help that along.


When the table is tight, they are playing big cards, that's what makes it tight right? You're getting eight to one and it's very unlikely anyone is holding your cards. I think it's safe to assume each player has at least one A->T. Even if they have a big pair, there are less cards for them to improve their hand with. Unless of course big straight or any flush cards flop.


It's a gamble, but a little gamle can't hurt occasionally.

not a terrible play if ya use it very sparingly and dont fall in love with it. you know your EV is gonna be negative, but the benefits on future hands is where your gonna get paid off. i tend to do these plays once in a while, especially with the results oriented crowd. sends them into a tizzy. basically your on a stone bluff. i would actually raise instead of just calling. why not give it some deception as a big hand? then if ya hit, they really wont put ya on it...


just remember to be careful with this play...it can be hazardous to your bankroll if overused


b

I'd much prefer doing this with 43s or some other semblence of a hand that has a CHANCE of making a legit hand. What kind of flop are you looking for? 33x or 77x (both of which are iffy cuz of kicker troubles), 73x (which risks counterfeitability), or 456r (which endangers you to 78, or a 7 or 8 on the turn/river).


I like 34s much more, as you can flop a draw, whereas you can't with 73o.


My two pennies.


Josh

It's a mistake. You're ev is terrible because (I assume you limped and then called the blind's raise) you're getting 7-1 for the less than 4% chance of a 2-pair/set/straight flop. It's a bad image play because they won't care if you fold and they'll see your goofy hand one time in twenty. Even in a late position blind it's a bad play to call the bb's raise getting 15-1.

I haven't read the other responses yet, but I imagine they'll all say that it was poor play. If the hand were suited, the play would be better, but I still don't think you should call with it.

You post has some good reasoning, but I believe the concepts would be better applied with better hands. He can raise the field when he has a 56s or pocket dueces. If he's playing 73o, then he's probably playing many more hands that he should in other situations.

"These players are all most likely holding high cards..."


Hahaha. Good one zach.

i believe i said, not to fall in love with the move and use it sparingly. your goal is not to win the hand per se, but to ellicit action on later hands. sometimes it can backfire because it is so extreme they figure ya just did it for the shock value and dicount it. so in this case, ya may have to do it twice. 65s is more reasonable, but many players play the suited so it might not have as much affect on normal LL players the way a complete garbage hand does.


b

"I decide to call for this reason: These players are all most likely holding high cards, which leaves the deck high in low cards."


Blackjack and poker don't mix.

...and I hope you continue to cold call raised family pots in late position holding 73o or whatever it was that won for you. Everyone else is playing supposed "strategy" and by mixing it uo you beat them at their own game. Smart!

Good one. I was thinking that, too.

I would be more discretionary in my choice of cards for advertising purposes and may use a 1 gapper like 86o or 75o at the most as they have a better fighting chance. LL players are not too observant in what people play.


If you use 73o, it seems that your standard arsenal of starting hands may include Q4s, J5s in late position. I hope I'm wrong. JMO

"but the benefits on future hands is where your gonna get paid off."


-- Not entirely correct. Anyone who's played for a while will recognize this as a sort of "advance tell"; With this play, you're posting a big sign on your forehead that screams, "CALL MY NEXT BIG BET." It doesn't pay because the weakies will forget what you held in a couple of minutes and the observant players will see through it. The only way it will work is if you do it repeatedly enough to actually convince the suspicious types that you're for real. And by then you've played an absolutely crappy game anyway. I speak, of course, out of the context of the particular game you were in. Without being there, who can say what kind of attention you'll attract with that play?


"just remember to be careful with this play...it can be hazardous to your bankroll if overused"


-- ...and I should add that "overused" should be understood as "used more than once every few months."